The Urban Experience in Brazil

• Credit value: 30 credits Level 5
• Tutor: Professor Luciana Martins
• Assessment: one individual presentation of 10-15 minutes plus short individual log of 1500 words (30%); one critical review of book/article of 1500 words (30%); one essay of 2500 words (40%)

This course focuses on the spatial imaginations of the urban world in Brazil from the late nineteenth century to the present. Emphasis is on the dynamism of Brazilian cities, exploring the extent to which different worlds have been brought into close proximity within particular urban environments. It furthermore draws upon major strands of theorisation on urban spaces and their representations within geography, history, anthropology, architecture and art history. We will also work with visual materials, including photography and film.

Addressing some of the ambiguities and complexities of cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília, topics to be discussed include the legacy of slavery and colonialism; urban modernities; planning and power; buildings, monuments and myth; spaces of inequality, marginalisation and fear; urban life and digital technologies; and the city as an aesthetic and political act.

The module is taught in English, with all material in translation.